Austro-Prussian or German Greenland, West Indies and/or Iceland?

Korporal Nooij

Hi.

Again, somewhat inspired by Victoria :p, i was wondering, is there any non-ASB possibility for the German Confederation to, after winning the Second Schleswig War, own Iceland, Greenland and/or the Danish West Indies?

I mean, i know they didn't have any claims on these territories and it would probably be a big problem to convince, although on the losing side, the Danes.

But still, is this possible somehow? And if so, what are the results? Would it give the Germans an advantage against the British for supremacy on the Atlantic? Or would it be more of a drawback? Also, more importantly, how would the Americans react if the Germans annex the Danish West Indies and/or Greenland? It would be at the end of the (or after the) Civil War, so i suppose they'd have a pretty isolationist opinion about it.

-Korporal Nooij.
 
iori

iori

Korporal Nooij said:
Hi.

Again, somewhat inspired by Victoria :p, i was wondering, is there any non-ASB possibility for the German Confederation to, after winning the Second Schleswig War, own Iceland, Greenland and/or the Danish West Indies?

I mean, i know they didn't have any claims on these territories and it would probably be a big problem to convince, although on the losing side, the Danes.

But still, is this possible somehow? And if so, what are the results? Would it give the Germans an advantage against the British for supremacy on the Atlantic? Or would it be more of a drawback? Also, more importantly, how would the Americans react if the Germans annex the Danish West Indies and/or Greenland? It would be at the end of the (or after the) Civil War, so i suppose they'd have a pretty isolationist opinion about it.

-Korporal Nooij.
Click to expand...

Well first, by German Confederation do you mean United Germany or the Prussian-lead entity that existed before Unification?

Greenland is really the easiest, since it's basically useless until the 1930's onward, only being a stopping point for North Atlantic travel.
If for some reason Germany wanted Greenland and won decisively against Denmark than it'd be pretty easy to demand it.

The Danish West Indies, well it'd have to be a pretty bad loss for Denmark, but they may be able to get them, though a part of me thinks the US would Enforce the Monroe Doctrine and annex them itself, seeing as Germany could'nt really do anything about it except screw with American-European commerce, though I think even then they'd be told none to politely to cease by the other European powers.

Iceland is the least likely as it was populated by Nords, strategically and economically important and would likely rebel against Germany.
 

Eurofed

Banned
In my own "A different 1866" TL, Napoleon III talks Austria and Denmark into joining the war against the Italo-Prussian alliance (although a threatened nationalist German uprising makes Austria, that suffered an even much worse defeat in 1866 thanks to a vry good Italian performance, and hence is in a death spiral, bolt out of it at the last moment). Denmark is crushed, and Bismarck has the perfect justification to annex it. However to appease Britain and America, he sells Greenland to Britain and the DWI to America. Iceland is made an autonomous Dominion of Germany.
 

Korporal Nooij

Eurofed said:
In my own "A different 1866" TL, Napoleon III talks Austria and Denmark into joining the war against the Italo-Prussian alliance (although a threatened nationalist German uprising makes Austria, that suffered an even much worse defeat in 1866 thanks to a vry good Italian performance, and hence is in a death spiral, bolt out of it at the last moment). Denmark is crushed, and Bismarck has the perfect justification to annex it. However to appease Britain and America, he sells Greenland to Britain and the DWI to America. Iceland is made an autonomous Dominion of Germany.
Click to expand...

Nice!! :D I'm gonna read your TL immediately!

And yes, i was thinking of 1864, but i, indeed, didn't point that out. :eek:

Well, my puzzle has been solved, haha. Thanks! :)

-Korporal Nooij.

EDIT: I just began reading your 'A different 1866' and it's awesome! I love it!
 

Monty Burns

Considering 1864, note that Bismarck was never that interested in colonies for the German empire - I don't think he'd be interested in getting rather barren North Atlantic lands unless Denmark is fully annexed as in Eurofed's timeline.

However, Prussia might be interested in the Danish West Indies, and certainly even more in the island of Bornholm in the Baltic sea.

What about Denmark suffering a much worse defeat, but instead of a condominium on Schleswig-Holstein Bismarck must accept an independent Schleswig-Holstein within the German confederation, but Prussia gets the Danish West Indies plus Bornholm?
 

Eurofed

Banned
Monty Burns said:
Considering 1864, note that Bismarck was never that interested in colonies for the German empire - I don't think he'd be interested in getting rather barren North Atlantic lands unless Denmark is fully annexed as in Eurofed's timeline.

However, Prussia might be interested in the Danish West Indies, and certainly even more in the island of Bornholm in the Baltic sea.
Click to expand...

Indeed, perceived low value is one of the reasons why IMT Bismarck is eager to sell barren Greenland (really, never a land got more misguiding name :p) to Britain. The other reason is that he would not want to step on British and American turf. DWI were not so low-vaue, but indeed America, thanks to Monroe's doctrine, is going to react badly to the transfer. Even more so, since America just fought a harsh war with Britain (netting western Canada and southern Ontario, however) and is even more paranoid about European "colonial" encroachment in the Americas. Bismarck was little interested in colonial expansion as a principle, the Americas would be the last place on Earth where he would mean to grab land and pick a unnecessary fight with the USA. Besides, IMT he won an even bigger victory against France thanks to Italian alliance, and the partners went on to enriching themselves a lot on French booty, including French shares of the Suez Canal and French Indochina, which were rather more valuable than DWI.

Nonetheless, Iceland would not be so low-value (fisheries), I think. Although I assume that Britain would freak out a little about German naval bases in the island, this why I made London bargain partial demilitarization of Iceland (and a pact to divide the shares of the Suez canal with Germany and Italy on a equal basis). But IMT Britain is headed to make a Triple (well, Quadruple with Hungary) Alliance with the Italo-German bloc against the Franco-Spanish-Russian Entente.

Korporal Nooij said:
Nice!! :D I'm gonna read your TL immediately!
Click to expand...

Thanks. Be sure to read the last, fully developed version of the TL, which includes the downfall of Denmark.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top